Golf tee



Feb. 8, 1927.

w. J. BUTLER ET AL GOLF TEE Filed 001:. 22:5, 1926 gnpenfo'b i v Willia/n JBuiler;

Patented F eb. 8, 1927.

v UNITED Sr-Ares,

PATENT- OFFICE,

WILLIAM BUTLER ROBERT- L. FITZGERALD, OF NEW, LONDON, WISCON'SITINI'.

I GOLF ran."

- Applicationfiled October 23, 1926. Serial N0.'143,72 7.'

, This invention relates to-improvements in 'golf ball tees, having for an object to provide a tee of such construction as will provide the player-user with a means for'supporting his golf ball at a uniform height and in use upon part of a user, permitting him to become accustomed to the height of the ball from the ground and to increase his accuracy whereby to secure the greatest result from the play.

It is also anobject of the invention to struction, so that the same offers no resistance to the club as it meets the ball supported thereupon, and will not in any way interfere with the perfect stroke of the club' anchoring means engaged with the terrain will-serve in the fashion of a hinge 'connec-. tion, thus offering noresistance in the strik- Other objects of the part obvious and, in part inafter.

In the drawings: q a 1 Figure l is a perspective View of proved device, v

Iiigure 2 is a top plan -'view of the same, ant

invention will be in pointed out herethe am showing the manner in which the. tee shoulder is carried upon the flexible baseand likewise, the manner in which the pivotal connection is effected as between the flexible base of the tee and the anchoring means; one possible position of the tee after being struck by the club being shown in dotted lines and indicating that the same flexes at that point of the flexible base adjacent the anchoring means whereby to minimize resistance.

1 Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection with which like provide a golf tee which is of a flexible con Figure 3 is a vertical section therethrough characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, the improved tee may bestated to comprise a base of'fiexible material, such as rubber-or the like,

designated by the numeral 1, such base in this particular embodime nt of the invention being shown to be of circular formation, although, of course, the same may be varied,

such as conditions or preference ma 'dic-' tate. One marginal portlon of theexi-ble base 1 is provided with an extension or tongue 2 through which a normally perpendicularly arranged anchoring pin 3 is adapted to be passed, the pointed end of the pin being downwardly disposed whereas the upper end 'of the pin is headed, as indicated-at 4, whereby to provide a convenient means for engaging the same ,and forcing it into or drawing same from the terrain, duringusage of the improved tee.

Fixedly arranged upon or formed integral I V with the intermediate portion of the upper .side of the flexible base], is what we term as, a tee shoulder 5, this shoulder being formed of flexible material corresponding to that from which the base 1- is constructed and being of hollow or tubular construe .tion, the basal part of the shoulder being enlarged or flared outwardly as indicated portion of this tee shoulder 6 is reduced as is shown inthe Figure 3, being more or less of hollow cylindrical formation and ,up-

on the open upper end of this reduced upper portion of the, shoulder 5, the' golf ball B, shown in dotted lines in the Figure 3, is adapted to be arranged. v I

In"-usage of our improved golf tee, the

base portion 1 thereof is] placed upon the terrain of a starting. tee, preferably flushly thereupon The anchoring pin is forced downwardly into the terrain to the full extent of the exposed portion of the shank thereof, by bearing upon the headed portion 4, thus afi'ordinga positive connection as between the fiexible base 1 and said terraing In this connection, it is to be noted that insecuring the anchoring pin 3 in the terrain, the

same is so arranged that it will be adjacent the front side of the tee and in the, same di- 'recti'on that the ball subsequently positioned thereupon. is to be, hit. Thus, should happen that the club strikes the'tee, the flexible 7 base portion 1 will flex forwardly and upwardly upon-itself in the manner as indicated in the dotted lines in the Figure 3., simulating a pivotal movementinasmuch as the anchoring means engaged with the ter rain will serve. in the fashion of a hinge connection. Because of this pivotal movement of the flexible base 1 of the tee con- I struction, it willzbe appreciated by players that interference to a material extent with a proper take-off of the ball from the tee will be. avoided.- Furthermore, because of the fact that theitee'shoulder '5 is of flexible material,,- corresponding to the material from which the'base portion 1 is constructed, it will be understood that this element too will give with the impact of a blow from the club thereupon and in so doing, will offer 'no' material interference with proper striking; of the ball 'or the 'balls leaving the upperend of said shoulder.

- Itis preferable that the tee be built at acertain height which will be productive of the best results in playing. Such height of the tee, howeverr is largely a matter of personalchoice with a user of the device and if desired, such a user may readily trim a portion of the reduced upper end of the tee shoulder therefrom until it has been brought 1 to the desired; height.

After usage of the improved tee, the- 1,517,232 a I v anchoring pin 3may be readily'withdi'awii I from the terrain and the tee may be dropped into the club bag of a player until it .is.

again desired to use the same.

Ma-nifestly, the construction shown 1s capable of considerable modification and \Ve claim 'sucli modification as is .within the spirit of -our clalms, we consider within the spirit 4 of our invention. l

1. Agolf tee comprising a flat and annular flexible base, a shoulder fixedly arranged upon and concentrically of the base, and anchoring means piercingly engaged with a portion of said base in proximity to 'theadjacent margin thereof.

2. A golf tee comprising a flat and. an-

nular flexible base, .a tubular shoulder having an enlarged lower extremity fixedly ar-- ranged upon and concentrically of the base,

of a diameter materially margin thereof.

In witnesswhereof we have hereunto set our "hands:

' WILLIAM J. BUTLER.

ROBERT L. FITZGERALD. 

